The components of a vector network analyzer (VNA) have amplitude and phase-frequency characteristics over the frequency which requires a new calibration especially in the case of changes in the measuring frequency range, the send amplitude and/or the measuring lines. Calibration components with known properties are used for calibration. The different calibration components, of which the most frequent are known as short, open, load and through, jointly form a calibration set. The respective calibration component, which hereinafter is referred to in short as “component,” is connected with the respective measuring port or ports of the VNA. This is followed by the actual calibration process, which is usually menu-guided. This kind of calibration by hand is susceptible to errors by confusing the calibration components.
Electronic calibration modules are available as alternatives which contain the calibration data (i.e., the characteristic data) as stored values and are connected in respect of radio frequency with the measuring ports and via a data line with data interface of the VNA. Although the numerous contact rearrangement processes of the manual calibration are avoided and their risk of an erroneous calibration is reduced substantially, the costs of such electronic calibration modules are very high.